


It's Time

by orphan_account



Category: Red Hot Chili Peppers (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 03:44:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15788262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Inspired by the voice in John's head





	It's Time

John. It’s time.

Just a little bit longer. Please. This is too fucking important. This may be the only thing I ever do that holds any value whatsoever.

If you don’t let go now, it will come and bite you in the ass. You will be at a nadir. Life will cease to exist.

Why me? Goddamnit, quit talking to me. You said it would be okay in the end.

It will. But you will go through very dark times.

I can handle dark times.

Not this kind. It will scar you for life.

I don’t care. I have to stay here, with Anthony... and everybody.

He cannot save you, John.

You don’t know him.

John, you don’t know yourself.

Shut up!

I can’t.

Yeah, but I can block you out.

Only temporarily, John.

Fuck off.

“John?”

I freeze, and blink my eyes tightly. I recognize the voice coming from behind. He walks carefully down the roof, and takes a seat next to me, folding his arms across his knees.

“Hi Anthony.”

“Who were you talking to up here?”

“It doesn’t matter... What did you hear?”

“Nothing specific, but the window was open downstairs.”

“Oh.”

Digging into his jeans pocket for some Camels, Anthony frowns, finding none. “You got a light?” he asks.

I search through my own pockets, satisfied when I come up with half a pack. He grins wryly. “Great.”

I pull out two, light them and pass one to Anthony.

Taking a drag, I feel the familiar warmth flow through my body, and lay my back down on the roof, looking up at the sky and the trees.

“Earth is fucked,” I say casually, blowing out the smoke. He just nods in response, sniffing. I sigh and shut my eyes, folding my hands over my chest. “I have to tell you something important.”

“Anything, man.”

Hesitation. I sit up again and hug my knees, resting my cheek against them so I can look at my friend.

“What is it?” he asks, giving me his full attention.

The fringe at the bottom of my pant leg suddenly becomes terribly interesting.

“John. Talk to me.” I feel Anthony’s hand on my shoulder, he’s moved closer.

I sigh and squish my cig out onto the roof. “A few years ago, before Hillel died, I saw him backstage and talked to him for a little bit, and Hillel asked me, um, he asked me, would I still be a fan of the band, if and when the Chili Peppers hit it big.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I said no.”

“Oh... Does that bother you? Is that what this is about? The Fame thing?”

“Kind of. I don’t know... Once we leave this house, it’s not ever going to be the same.”

“Well of course it’s not. There’s a lot we all have to do. This is a job, Johnny, as much as it is fun.”

“I have to quit the band, Anthony. After this record is finished.”

“What?”

“I just do. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Don’t tell me I wouldn’t understand.” He softens his voice. “I want to understand, John.” He ducks his head down closer to mine. “What is it? ...Are you scared?”

“What? No! What do I have to be scared of?”

“John, its okay to be scared. I was scared.”

“I’m not fucking scared.”

“Then what are you?”

“Fed up.”

“With what?”

“I don’t know. I’m confused. I, I don’t know anything anymore.”

“I know something.”

“Oh yeah? What do you know?”

“I know that you’re my kick-ass guitar player, and I know you make me proud to call myself a musician.”

“Yeah, whatever, Anth.”

“Hey, I mean that,” he says, looking me in the eyes.

“Yeah, I know.”

“You arrogant prick.” He knows how to make me smile. “C’mon, let’s go inside.”

Anthony stands and offers me his hand. The wind blows his hair every which way, and I accept his hand as he helps me up. I don’t want to let go of it, and am overjoyed when he doesn’t release mine. We walk up the roof and through the window that we had both climbed through earlier to get there.

We step down to the floor, and he frees my hand. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Anth.”

“Please stay, John. We need you... I need you.”

I smile at my friend, watching his movements curiously, and he rests his hand on the back of my neck. Closing my eyes to Anthony’s touch, I whisper his name, stepping closer to him. Without thinking about it, I wrap him in a huge hug, burying my face in his collar. Anthony’s hand moves to the back of my head, and the other to around my shoulders.

“John,” he whispers, “Please stay here with me.”

I could oblige that for the moment. The skin on his neck is so smooth. I find myself kissing it lightly, working my way to his chin and letting my hands roam up his chest, settling them on his shoulders.

Anthony dips his face down to capture my lips, and euphoria overwhelms my senses, and any fear or reluctance that I might have had. His able tongue requests entrance to my mouth, a request which I eagerly grant, gripping the sides of his shirt. Soaring.

I’m surprised how natural this feels. How good it feels. Goddamn. I’m surprised again when I feel my red flannel shirt being removed from my shoulders, and I slowly pull away from the kiss. My shirt’s still attached to my arms, which are around Anthony’s waist, holding our bodies together.

“Anthony, what if--”

“Don’t worry... Just, just let me hold you.”

“Should we close the door?” He and I finally take time to look around the room we are in. No lights are on, but the window lets in more than enough. The walls are white, with black panels across the ceiling. There’s a door at the other end of the room, which is standing wide open.

He nods, pressing his forehead against mine. “Could we go up to your room? It’s so quiet and private in there.”

“Why, so you can make it noisy?” I grin, kissing him again.

“Maybe.”

“Okay,” I say, intertwining my fingers with his. “Let’s go.”

We cross the room, and Anthony pokes his head out the door, to find the hallway deserted. He and I walk cautiously down it, and then, turning a corner, go through a large room to the staircase that leads to my bedroom. I can hear Chad drumming away distantly in another wing of the house. At the bottom of the stairs, I pause nervously, playing with his hand.

“What’s going to happen?”

“Whatever you want,” he smiles adoringly, kissing my forehead, his eyes radiating so much life, softness, love, and lust.

I nod and we head up the staircase. I open the door to my familiarly sparse habitat, but my companion has never seen it before. He stares at the walls, which are covered in drawings and paintings that Clara and I made, in amazement. Looking to my record player and turning it on, I place the needle on the spinning record, sounds of the Beatles filling the warm air. Anthony hugs me from behind, and I place my arms around his, leaning against him and shutting my eyes.

He whispers my name into my skin, kissing my shoulder. I turn in his arms, and let him pull my flannel shirt off, tossing it aside. Leading him around the guitars and boxes scattered on the dirty wood floor, we move to the large mattress that serves as my bed, and sit down on it, our backs up to the wall. He invites me into his lap, where I look into his brown eyes, wishing I knew how this would work out.

Of course I know how this will work out. We’ll try to keep it a secret, but Flea and Chad will eventually find out, and then once we get on tour, girls (and boys) will be throwing themselves at us, namely at Anthony... I won’t be happy anyway, I already told him I need to quit.

My thoughts are interrupted by Anthony’s lips on my lips, one of his hands on the side of my unshaven face, the other resting softly on my thigh. I run my fingers through his long hair, kissing him back with a force. Moaning softly against his mouth, I tug at and push up the bottom hem of his black t-shirt, wanting badly to rid it from his strong body. Anthony, sensing my urgency, takes his hands from my skin, and I help him to almost rip the fabric off of his torso and over his head.

He returns to my lips quickly, and we lay back on the bed, and I let my hands explore his now naked chest and back, as he looms beautifully over me. Anthony’s kisses become slower and softer and sweeter, however, and soon his head is resting on my chest, his body collapsed on top of mine. I stroke his hair as he smiles, hugging me, and I close my eyes.

 

Knock, knock, on the door. I open my eyes. How long has it been? The music’s off.

“Johnny? Johnny?” a small voice calls from behind the door. It’s Clara.

Anthony is still curled up against me on the bed, asleep. I move gently out of his arms, and go over to the door, opening it a crack. “Hey, sweetie.”

She smiles up at me. “Papa wants to know what kind of pizza you want.”

“Oh, uh, tell him combo. Without, um, without the little fishies.”

“Okay.”

“Thanks, Clara.”

“You’re welcome. Bye, John.”

I watch her as she prances back down the stairs, and then I shut the door, looking back at the shirtless man in my bed. He’s just starting to open his eyes. Climbing under the sheets, I pull him into my arms again. Maybe I’ll stay for a while after all.

 

“Johnny... who was that?” he asks sleepily.

“Oh, it was just Clara. She wanted to know what kind of pizza I wanted.” I pause, yawning, as I lay opposite him. “Anthony, I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to fall asleep again, that just as easily could’ve been Flea or Chad at the door.”

“Yeah,” he yawns back, “Okay.”

“What, so that’s it? You’re not going to devise some devious plan to keep this a secret?”

“Would you like me to?”

“I don’t know.”

He smiles, pulling me closer to him. Finding Anthony’s hand under the covers, I smile back, kissing him softly. “We should probably go mingle before they get suspicious.”

He nods, and we get up out of my bed. Finding our shirts on the floor, I hand his to him, putting my flannel back on over my undershirt. Anthony runs his hands through the length of his hair, pulling it into a ponytail, before taking my hand in his again happily.

“One for the road?” he asks, as I turn to face him.

I grin, wrapping my arms around his neck, and mash my nose nicely against his, kissing him.

“Should I come back here tonight?” he whispers in my ear, his hands on my hips.

Nodding simply, I smile, and remove my arms from around him. I open my door, and we step out onto the landing and down the stairs, walking through the house to the kitchen. Clara sees us first, and comes running. I scoop her up into my arms as we enter the room.

“Hey, where’ve you guys been?” Flea asks, looking up from his bass.

“On the roof,” I say casually, smiling down at his daughter as she sits on my hip. Kissing her forehead gently, I set her back down on the floor, and she scurries back to her crayons.

“Somebody said something about food...?” Anthony says anxiously, stretching his arms over his head.

“Yeah, the pizza’ll be here any minute now.” Flea goes back to his bass.

“Great.”

I sit down at the kitchen table, and lay my forehead down on it. I don’t know whether to be exhausted or ecstatic. I mean, wow. What did Anthony and I just do? How will this affect everyone, how will it affect us? If there is such a thing as an us, that is.

The focus of my thoughts seats himself diagonally from me, ruffling my short hair. “You okay, John?”

I smile up at him warmly, nodding. “Yeah.”

I glance across the room at Flea, before taking Anthony’s hand under the table, massaging it with my thumb. We’re not going to get this past him for long, he knows Anth and I too well.

The doorbell rings, and Flea sets down his bass, grabbing his wallet off the counter and going to the door for our pizza.

“Maybe we should just tell them now,” I whisper to Anthony, whose face almost reflects panic at that idea. “I think they’d appreciate hearing it from us before walking in on us.”

“Could we do it tomorrow? I want to have tonight first.”

I squeeze his hand in agreement, and we separate, as Flea walks in with the pizzas, Chad not far behind him, bearing a hungry expression.

 

It’s almost half past midnight, and I’m up in my room, in bed, just me and my acoustic. Pickless, so even I can just barely hear it, but that’s okay. Anthony should be here soon, he said he’d come up once everyone’s asleep. I hope that doesn’t take too long.

It doesn’t take any time at all, because when I open my eyes, he’s sitting cross-legged at the end of my excuse for a bed. I stop playing and smile at him. “Hey.”

“Don’t stop. That was pretty.”

“How long have you been sitting there?”

“A couple of minutes. You’re so beautiful when you do that, I didn’t want to disturb you.”

I set my guitar down on the floor and motion to Anthony. “C’mere.”

He obliges, crawling over on his hands and knees to kiss me hello. His sweet grin is contagious, and he rolls onto his back next to me.

“Are you tired?” I ask, scooting down next to him.

“It depends on what the activity is,” he grumbles back. “Why, are you tired?”

I shrug, wrapping my arm around his torso. At this, Anthony immediately moves closer to me, and I rest my head on his shoulder, his arm snaking around my back. I sigh, closing my eyes, and lay one of my legs between his.

“You’re sweet,” I inform him softly.

“I hope I’m not too sweet there, Johnny.”

“But I like you when you’re sweet,” I say, rubbing his chest. “When you get all negative and call me names and stuff... I don’t know.”

“What, does that make you feel bad?” Anthony covers my hand with his.

“Kind of.”

“John, I only call you Greenie and shit like that because I love you so much,” he says, moving his head down nearer to mine. “Not because I’m angry with you. I’m sorry, Johnny.” He rubs my shoulder, and I rise up onto my elbow, looking down at him.

Anthony appears concerned as he looks into my eyes, raising his hand to my cheek, but when he finds intimate warmth there, a smile, I am pulled back down against him, into a kiss.

“I suppose -- you think -- you’re being sweet,” I say between the connections of our lips.

“Am I doing a bad job?”

Let me think about that. Damn, I could really use this to my advantage. String him along. Be cruel so he’s sweeter than honey. Mmm, honey. Make him beg. Get Anthony Kiedis on his knees.

“You could do better, I think,” I smile into his ear, kissing it tenderly.

“John...” he whispers, “You doubt my sweetness capabilities?”

“Prove me wrong, then,” I say, and he rolls us over, so that I’m underneath him.

Anthony proceeds to kiss my eyes shut one at a time, and my forehead, then my cheeks and nose, finally stopping at my mouth, teasing me with his moist lips before taking mine wholly in his own. His forearms find their way under my back, his hands holding the sides of my head. I kiss Anthony back, easing my tongue into his mouth. I never realized before now just how much I truly need this... Need him. Just to be this close to someone, for them, for yourself, because you care, and because you’re rambling.

“John,” he breathes, as I wrap my arms around his neck, our bodies pressing closer together.

I open my eyes to look up into his, which are closed, as his forehead leans on mine. I study his beautiful face and gently reach around and pull his hair out of its ponytail. Anthony shakes his hair loose, some of it falling around us, and I kiss his forehead. He lays his face in the crook of my neck, tucking his hair behind his ear. I feel his eyelashes flutter against my pale skin as our arms intertwine our bodies, knotting our legs together and sharing the warmth.

“What are we going to tell them in the morning?” I ask.

“Never mind the morning, hon,” he says softly, kissing my collarbone. Anthony’s past-midnight shadow feels rough against my skin, and I try not to notice.

“But don’t you care what they have to say about this, about us? It affects them too, you know.”

“Johnny, please, let’s just sleep.” He rubs my chest tiredly.

“No, I don’t want to just sleep, if you’re not willing to face up to this!”

“John,” Anthony sighs, pulling up onto his elbow. “Please don’t worry about it. You can count on me. I promise you. Please.”

I smile a little as he strokes my cheek. “Okay.”

He smiles back, guiding me into another kiss before turning over onto his back and inviting me into his arms. I reassume my space on Anthony’s shoulder, tangling my legs in with his.

Playing with the ends of his hair as it rests on his chest, I lift my eyes to meet his. “Anth?”

He makes a noise somewhere between a moan and a grunt as his reply, taking my hand in his own.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, John.” One side of his mouth curls upwards, migrating ever closer until we touch.

I wonder what fortunes tomorrow will bring. Or I suppose today, seeing how it’s after midnight. Oh my God. I just figured out what “AM” means. I giggle a little at the stupidity.

“What is it?”

“Oh, nothing,” I say, and revisit Anthony’s lips.


End file.
